After years of helping some of the world’s biggest companies adapt to an ever-changing digital environment, Warren Tomlin is turning his attention to the place nearest and dearest to his heart: Ottawa.
The veteran executive, who’s been EY Canada’s digital and innovation partner for the past three years, officially assumed the role of managing partner of the professional services firm’s National Capital Region office earlier this month. He takes over for Deanna Monaghan, who will continue to serve as EY Ottawa’s senior assurance partner.
“I have always been most interested in helping clients grow and transform – fusing strategy and technology with strong talent and teams,” Tomlin said Wednesday in an email to OBJ. “COVID-19 has accelerated the need for organizations to modernize, and we are energized to support our current and future clients through the challenges of today to exploit opportunities tomorrow.”
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The new job is a labour of love for Tomlin, who began his tech career a quarter-century ago as the product manager for what was one of the most recognizable pieces of software ever produced during Silicon Valley North’s heyday, CorelDRAW.
Former IBM exec
Since then, the Queen’s MBA grad has held senior management positions with a who’s-who of past and present tech giants. He spent a couple of years at Nortel in the late ’90s and later had a four-year stint at IBM, where he was Big Blue’s chief innovation officer from 2015-17.
In between, he oversaw Canada Post’s evolution into a digital service provider as the general manager of the Crown corporation’s online components in the early 2000s. He then moved on to Ottawa-based web development and mobile gaming firm Fuel Industries, serving three years as president, before leading consulting powerhouse Accenture’s global digital practice from 2009-13.
In those roles, Tomlin regularly dealt with some of the planet’s biggest brands. Now, his new post allows him to zero in on clients right in his own backyard, and Tomlin couldn’t be happier.
“While I have been a global partner at both IBM and Accenture, it is great to focus back on the nation’s capital,” he said.
“Ottawa has so much to offer, and look forward to doing our part to support the federal government, while at the same time helping amplify all the successes of our world-class tech organizations. Let’s bring Silicon Valley North back – big!”
Management shakeups
EY’s management shuffle is the latest in a series of shakeups at the top of some of Ottawa’s largest accounting firms.
Last month, KPMG announced that longtime Ottawa partner Andrew Newman has been appointed managing partner for the firm’s Ottawa and Kanata offices. Newman succeeds Grant McDonald, who held the job for nearly a decade and will now focus on his role as the global head of KPMG’s aerospace and defence practice.
Meanwhile, veteran Welch LLP executive Jim McConnery will assume the role of managing partner at the Ottawa-based firm in January.
McConnery, who’s been a partner at Welch since 2007, will take over for Micheal Burch, who’s held the position for nearly 13 years. In a statement on Thursday, Burch said he’s staying on with Welch in a “small role” to help build the firm’s family wealth advisory practice.
“Being a partner at Welch for the last 28 years has been a wonderful experience,” he said. “I am extremely proud of the job everyone has done transforming Welch into a top-notch regional firm like no other.”
